Wild Meatloaf Cupcakes

Cupcakes are simply more fun than a loaf.

There, I said it. I really enjoy making these meatloaf cupcakes for a few reasons.. 1) They're self contained portions 2) It's easy to store leftovers in a bag to pull out as a quick snack 3) the crunch of the bacon around each piece really makes it. 4) Its literally a cupcake made from meat. Meatloaf can get a bad wrap as too simple or too dense but the key to a knockout dinner is to layer your flavors before you mix it all together.

You can use our 80/20 Ground Beef or Caveman Blend for an extra nutrient dense boost. For those of you that don't know our Caveman Blend Ground Beef is our 80/20 blend with beef liver and heart blended into it and you use it just like ground beef! Keep reading below the recipe for adaptions for Keto and tips on mega-masking any slight liver flavors from the Caveman Blend.

• SERVES: 4-5

• METHOD: Oven

• PREP TIME: 20 MIN TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15MIN

• BAKE TIME: 45 MINS

The Supply List:

• 1 lb Wild Earth 80/ 20 Ground Beef or Caveman Blend

• 1 Bell pepper, chopped med-fine

• 1 large onion, chopped med-fine

• 4-5 Cloves garlic, smashed and minced

• ¼ C flat leaf parsley, chopped

• ½ C fresh mushrooms, chopped finely

• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, diced

• ½ C tomato sauce or 1 small can tomato paste

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning, we like TexJoy Herbs du Beaumont

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1/2 tsp black pepper,

• 1/2 tsp red pepper

• 3/4 C Panko Breadcrumbs

• ½ C Parmesan cheese, shredded (opt)

• 1 egg

• 8-10 slices of bacon

• Ketchup for top

The Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375* and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• In a heavy bottom pan sauté onions, peppers, and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil on medium heat. When vegetable begin to soften, add the seasonings, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 1-2 minutes more

• Add the tomatoes, paste or sauce, Reduce 1-2 minutes while stirring to prevent any burning. You want a thick veggie mixture not runny. Turn off and set aside to cool.

• Place thawed ground meat into a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, completely cooled veggie mixture, cheese (opt but encouraged), and breadcrumbs. Combine everything with a fork or your hands until just incorporated, try to think “fluff not compress” do not over work mix the beef mixture. This will result in a dense final product.

• Once mixed, lightly form 8-10 equal balls and wrap each in a slice of bacon squeezing the diameter so the piece wraps around twice with a slight overlap of ends. They will look like little bacon wrapped cylinders. Place evenly on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, the paper is optional but it makes cleanup a breeze and lets you keep that nice crust that forms on the bottom of each cupcake.

• Drizzle with ketchup, and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. You want the bacon to be browned and crisp.

• Enjoy with your favorite seasonal vegetable and roasted potatoes!

Adaptation notes: 

When using the Caveman Blend to help cover any lingering liver taste you can:

• Add chopped bacon to the mixture. The extra fat will enhance the meaty flavor. Simply chop the bacon and give it a quick saute in the pan, set aside, and you can use the drippings to saute your veggie mixture. Depending on the amount you may still need to use some olive oil in the pan.

• Use the stronger flavored tomato paste rather than sauce

For Keto or Low Carb:

Just eliminate the breadcrumbs from the recipe. I like to use the mushrooms at my breadcrumb/moisture replacement. I throw the dry mushrooms in the food processor to bring them down to breadcrumb size. Or if you don't have a food processor, simply spend the time to chop them very fine. Also, use sugar free ketchup for the top.